Don’t let this happen again

“It is not an easy thing as a mother to get a telephone call and being told that a light bulb shattered and your nine-year-old son was injured,” Martin-Charles told Newsday in an interview.

On February 1, her son, standard three student, Jayden Martin- Charles was seated in his classroom when a fluorescent light bulb in the ceiling exploded.

The glass splinters scattered unto the chairs and tables, one of the broken pieces of the light bulb penetrated the boy’s scalp. Jayden, according to his mother, lost a lot of blood. He was rushed to the Princes Town District Health Facility.“ He was bleeding at the school and the bleeding also continued at the health centre.

It was really hard as a mother to see my son in this condition,”Martin Charles said. She told Newsday that her son was traumatised and crying. “He was treated at the Health Centre and even some weeks after, he was still getting headaches.

He is doing okay now but I am afraid that if this problem is not addressed that this may happen to another child,” she said. Parents and students have since held two consecutive days of placard demonstrations to voice their concerns.

The school building has been in existence for the past 17 years and parents said the electrical wires need to be changed. “My son is alive and I am happy the injuries were not more severe.

He was lucky that because of his thick hair the piece of glass did not penetrate deeper into his scalp.” She said those in authority need to get their act together. “All my children have attended this school and the teaching they have received is excellent. The teachers are doing their job, but the problem is the wiring and if it means closing the school for one week to rectify the problem it must be done.” Martin Charles said all parties should work together to create a safe environment for the students.

Several weeks ago a fire also started in one of the classrooms due to the faulty electrical wires.